# June, 1905

Source: Lenin Miscellany XVI, p. 109
Date: 1905

THE III-RD CONGRESS AND ITS DECISIONS

[June, 1905. Paris.]

A)

Why did the Congress and [Con]f[erence] come about?

B)

Org[anizational] q[uestio]n at the Congress and at the C[on]f[erence].

C)

Tactic[al] q[uestio]ns
" " "

A)

1. Legality of convening the Congress without the Soviet.

2. L[egality] of the Congress itself.

3. Why was it wrong not to go to the [Congress]?
(Transformation of one Congress into two.)

B)

Three main points of org[anizational] work of the III Congress:

Bb)

1) § 1.

2) "unicentralism."

3) "G[uarantee] of r[ights of m]inority]."

Bv) Org[anizational] charter of the C[on]f[erence].

(1) "collectives" leading (?)

(2) "local o[rganization]" (? and § 1?).

(3) C.C. and E.C. and — R.C.
???

(4) Conditions of agreement?
at the [Congress]?

C)

> A[rmed] Uprising |
4 1.*** T[emporary] Revolutionary |Government].

3 2. A[rmed] Uprising].

2 3. C[ontemporary] Political] Situation].

4. R[elation] to other r[e]v[olutionary] and opposition] p[arties].

5. [4.] 5. E[xecutive] C[ommis]s[ion].

4. [3.] 4. C.C. = E.C. + representatives of regional c[ommittees] = c[on]f[erence].

3. [2.] 3. Regional c[ommittees] = elected [representatives] of regional Congresses.

2. 2. Regional Congresses = delegates of leading collectives.

* (The words: "without the Soviet" are written in pencil. Ed.)

** Written in pencil; the following text is written in ink over the pencil [text]. Ed.

*** The first row of numbers is written in pencil. Ed.

**** The further text is written in pencil. Ed.

1. Leading] c[ollective] = c[ommittee] + all district c[ommittees] + a special gr[oup].

The c[ommittee] reports to the district c[ommittees] and sends (presents) a "question" there.

C[ommittee] almost [with] elected members from the district c[ommittees].

[From the] group of local organization [members].

From the reproaches of Mensheviks:

"crude v[iolation] of promise"

"imposition of p[arty] Congress"

"unheard-of] crime"

"betrayal of trust of the p[arty]"

"shameless] juggling"

"substitution"

"violence against the will of the org[anized] pr[oletariat]"

* p. 13)

C[onditions] of M[ensheviki]

The p[arty] ought to be represented, i.e., "the mass of its actual members"

p. 8

"Is it possible to d[ecide] t[actical] q[uestio]ns without prior d[iscussion] by the entire p[arty]? Is it not easy to imagine mentally... an armed] uprising]... even in l[iterature] just] now disputes began" (p. 10).

"we heard" (p. 10-11).¹

¹ All page references refer to the brochure "First All-Russian Conference of Party Workers. Separate Supplement to 'Iskra'. Geneva 1905".

² In the brochure (see note 1) it is said: "We hear that, in view of the coming revolution, a political alliance with the S-Rs is necessary and that the same newly-minted candidates for leadership of the party are seeking the repeal of the resolutions of the II Congress concerning the S-Rs. Is it possible that such a change can take place by a simple raising of hands of delegates, behind whom stand from 1 to 6 committeemen".

An "Open Letter" by Lenin was written in response to an article by K. Kautsky "Die Spaltung der russischen Sozialdemokratie" ["The Split in Russian Social-Democracy"] in No. 435 of "Leipziger